By Philip Drucker
I was talking to a friend of mine (yes, I have friends) who it just so happens is a physicist. At the end of our discussion about recent political events, we decided that in the grand scheme of all things cosmic, all matter matters. As proof of our pseudo-scientific, astronomical, social and political hypothesis we noted the following.
· There are more planets in the sky than there are grains of sand contained within all the world's beaches. Yet both play a specific role that appears to be of equal importance.
· It is possible that up to 85% of our universe is comprised of dark matter. We can't see it, but its gravitational pull on the visible universe influences the trajectory of the planets.
· The Death Star was really big but it was brought down by one well- placed shot aimed at just the right spot.
What does it all mean? It is not possible to objectively evaluate the true nature of the 10,000 things (including human beings) under the sun merely by the way they look, or more accurately, and mucho coolio sounding, the total sum of all things includes by necessity the inclusion of all things and their effects on one another. Even cooler still, we are all connected and, wait for it, we are all one. Cause and effect anyone?
Here was where the science part of the discussion switched to the Black Lives Matter movement, and all things racist in general. How does it help society, us, all of us, the big We the People by denying one part of our ranks the right to be all that they can be? To contribute at a minimum to the knowledge of the known universe based on nothing more than their race, nation of origin, gender or sexual preferences?
More to the point, how does racism, xenophobia, sexism and homophobia contribute to our overall well-being as a nation, a planet, and hopefully in the future a member of the Federation of Planets? How do these negative assessments based on nothing more than cursive and superficial evaluations illuminated by light upon an object's surface help us in our individual natural right to pursue happiness?
I don't know about you, but when it comes to happiness, I'll take all the assistance I can get from anyone and everyone, and then some. Same goes for information and hopefully knowledge and yes, wisdom? What matters the source if the intent and effect be both holistic and ultimately, true? Truth matters anyone?
The supposed separation between the known, meaning reacts to light, and the unknown, meaning does not react to light, realms of matter continues to confound us. In a big way, if you think about it, is this why we have religion? How do we explain the incredible contrariness of the universe and its effect on our everyday lives if we can't even see it? Well, for starters, that's what science is for. To explain that which is through study and observation made known to us in the physical world.
Of course, it is much simpler to merely say it is the King of heaven's will and therefore unknowable to man, which in some instances may be true. But what if it isn't, true? And we can see beyond the peripheral and experience the wonders and blessings of the ethereal here on Earth?
Eventually at least, isn't it true this combined search to find and share the gifts of the celestial above, here on the third rock from the sun below, would bind us all together to bring the fruits of society, life, liberty, peace and freedom to us all? You would think so as the only alternative is irrational hate, fear and loathing based on an illusion of division, leading to derision and ultimately to death. For what I have just described are the true wages of sin.
I must admit "lives that absorb all the colors of the visible spectrum and reflects none of them to the eyes matter," is not nearly as impactful on a protest sign as "Black Lives Matter". But in many ways, isn't that what is inevitably keeping us all apart? The amount of pigmentation within our seemingly separate bodies changing the color of our communal skin? Seems rather petty to say the least.
But then again, of all the emotions, hatred is by far the most useless and petty of them all. I tend to think of it this way, hatred is responsible for an awful lot of deaths, but has it ever brought one back? Will a bridge built of hatred get you to the other side? Will a wall built form hatred keep hatred out? Or will it serve to trap hatred within?
You will find ignorance and isolation in every tyrant's, or in our current situation, a would be if he could be but he's in the final analysis not smart enough to be a despot's tool box. Right next to lies, lies and more lies, bigger lies, gas lighting, deception, obfuscation, blame gaming, and of course the ever continuing looking for the next scapegoat in the never-ending chain of you're next if I need yet another group (and I probably will) for my adoring public to vent their hatred against. So little time, so many colors to choose from.
And so, in the middle of a pandemic, an economic collapse the length and depth of which has yet to be fully determined much less experienced, an invasion of murder hornets, we again are forced to confront the evils of race baiting, eugenics as legitimate science (it's not) the resurgence of the KKK all because our white supremacist of a what's left of his presidency arrogant orange buffoon can't understand the simple lessons of life and science provided from viewing light, or is it life, through a prism?
If Herr Trumpf did, he might be very surprised to learn that white is not the absence of color at all. It is the end-product of blending together all colors into one. That to produce the physical phenomenon of white requires the inclusion of all colors, with no one color being of any greater significance than the other.
These are the teachings of a prism, a rainbow, diversity of mind, body and spirit. Compassion and its connection to humanity. To respect and not fear our perceived differences. We are all children descended from the same womb.
America, the true America, embodies this aesthetic. We see it in the Constitution, in the Bill of Rights, in the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments. The legitimacy of government lies not in the body politic itself, but in the happiness of the People it is sworn to serve. Not some people, all people. We, the People.
Equality begins with equal justice, opportunity and freedom for all. When one of us is enslaved we are all enslaved. We are a nation of individuals and our individuality is in many ways, all we have to offer. It is what we ultimately bring, our knowledge, wisdom and experience, to this technicolor no longer black and white world in which we all live, breathe, survive and thrive.
E Pluribus Unum, y'all. Have a nice day.
Time for a Re-Phil?
@DruckerPhilip
Instagram: Philip_Drucker
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